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28 Apr 2003 : Column 149W—continued
DEFENCE
Afghanistan
Mr. Wray: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what British forces are engaged in Afghanistan; what plans he has to replace them; and if he will make a statement. [110026]
Mr. Ingram: There are currently some 340 British troops serving in Afghanistan, predominantly with the International Security Assistance Force, where our current commitment is to provide forces until August 2003. Decisions on their replacement will be taken over the coming months.
Armed Forces Pay
Mr. Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what discussions he has had with (a) the Chancellor of the Exchequer and (b) the Armed Forces Pay Review Body concerning income tax exemptions for service personnel in the Gulf; [109550]
- (2) what estimate his Department has made of the cost of providing UK service personnel in the Gulf with a four-month income tax exemption; and if he will make a statement. [109547]
Mr. Ingram: There have been no discussions with the Chancellor of the Exchequer or the Armed Forces Pay Review Body concerning income tax exemptions for service personnel in the Gulf. The longstanding rule—recognised by successive Governments—is that Crown
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servants, including members of the armed forces, are chargeable to income tax on their Government salaries wherever they are serving.
No estimate has been made by the Ministry of Defence of the cost of providing United Kingdom service personnel in the Gulf with a four-month income tax exemption.
Mr. Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the average level of pay is of British service personnel serving in the Gulf. [109551]
Mr. Ingram: The pay structure of the United Kingdom armed forces, has incremental scales for every rank and two separate pay spines for non-commissioned personnel, dependent on their trade. Many will also be in receipt of allowances and those personnel with specific skills, for additional pay. An average figure would therefore be misleading.
However, rates of pay, additional pay and certain allowances are published annually in the Armed Forces Pay Review Body Report for all ranks up to Brigadier and equivalent, and the Senior Salaries Review Body Report for ranks above Brigadier. Copies of the 2003 Reports can be found in the House of Commons Library.
Cadets
Mr. Hendry: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much his Department has allocated to the marketing and promotion of the (a) army, (b) air and (c) sea cadets, in each of the last 10 years; and what plans he has to change the recruitment procedures. [109733]
Dr. Moonie: The information requested is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Mr. Hendry: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many cadets there were in (a) the army cadets, (b) the air cadets and (c) the sea cadets in each of the past 10 years; and how many have been recruited to each in each of the last 10 years. [109734]
Dr. Moonie: The strength of the Cadet Forces at 1 April for the last 10 years was as follows:
| 1993 | 1994 | 1995 | 1996 | 1997 | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Naval Service | 22,130 | 21,660 | 20,880 | 21,210 | 20,690 | 20,550 | 19,900 | 19,690 | 19,080 | 18,940 |
| Army | 65,120 | 65,150 | 63,700 | 65,410 | 65,060 | 64,870 | 65,740 | 68,530 | 66,420 | 66,840 |
| Royal Air Force | 43,730 | 43,840 | 43,700 | 42,390 | 41,780 | 41,240 | 42,700 | 43,730 | 42,810 | 43,540 |
Information on the number of cadets recruited into each of the services over the last 10 years is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Mr. Hendry: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many applications his Department has received from (a) the army cadets, (b) the air cadets and (c) the sea cadets for processing for Criminal Record Bureau checks in the past six months; how many of those applications have been processed; and what representations he has received on the time taken to process such applications. [109735]
Dr. Moonie: The number of applications made to the Criminal Record Bureau and the number of clearance certificates issued for the six month period ending 15 April 2003 are set out below:
| Cadet Force | Applications to CRB | Certificates Issued |
|---|---|---|
| Sea Cadet Corps | 423 | 314 |
| Army Cadet Force | 653 | 260 |
| Air Training Corps | 125 | 14 |
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Devonport Dockyard
Mr. Swire: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on recent security measures implemented at Devonport Naval Dockyard. [109638]
Mr. Ingram: It is not Ministry of Defence policy to comment on specific security measures, although the security practices and procedures at all three HM Naval Bases are subject to regular review and are adjusted or enhanced according to assessed threats. Following the incident in November last year when two anti-nuclear demonstrators gained access to HMS Vanguard at the Devonport Dockyard, which is owned by Devonport Management Limited, a specialist Defence Logistics Organisation Team investigated the incident and made proposals aimed at preventing a recurrence. The details of these proposals are being withheld under Exemption 1 (Defence, security and international relations) of the Code of Practice on access to Government Information.
Field Hospitals
Mr. Viggers: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what have been the deployments of 33 Field Hospital and 202 Field Hospital (V) during 2003. [110077]
Dr. Moonie: During 2003, 33 Field Hospital deployed on Operation TELIC in Kuwait from 14 February to 10 April. 202 Field Hospital (V) also deployed on Operation TELIC in Kuwait on 12 March and will remain there for the time being.
HMS Ark Royal
Mr. Viggers: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) when HMS Ark Royal will redeploy to the United Kingdom; [110080]
- (2) what have been the movement plans for HMS Ark Royal during 2003; and what changes there have been to these plans. [110079]
Mr. Ingram: Having successfully completed Operation TELIC tasking, in her Landing Platform Helicopter role, HMS Ark Royal, together with her escort, HMS York and RFA Fort Victoria are on passage to the United Kingdom. Following a period of work with FA2 Harriers in the Mediterranean, HMS Ark Royal and accompanying ships will anive in the UK in mid May.
HMS Ark Royal originally deployed in January at the head of Naval Task Group 03, a long-planned deployment to the Gulf and Asia Pacific regions. NTG 03 formed part of the Royal Navy's contribution to Operation TELIC, but with the successful completion of the initial phases of operations, three of the NTG 03 units are able to re-deploy to meet some of their original commitments. It has however, been decided that the priority for HMS Ark Royal is to return to the UK to undertake necessary work to allow for her to be available as soon as possible for future tasking.
Iraq
Mr. Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what estimate he has made of (a) the number
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of cluster bombs dropped and (b) the number of weapons incorporating low yield uranium used by British forces in the Iraq war. [108324]
Mr. Hoon: As at 17 April, United Kingdom Forces have dropped in the region of 66 clusterbombs in the Iraq conflict. These have been used against large troop concentrations, armour and artillery in the open. The UK has no weapons incorporating low yield uranium in our inventory.
Mr. McNamara: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what the status is of detainees held at Camp One, Umm Qasr; [109057]
- (2) how many prisoners were detained at Camp One, Umm Qasr in each week since its opening; what the capacity is of the camp; and what steps are being taken to establish further prison camps; [109048]
(3) on how many occasions the military tribunal at Camp One, Umm Qasr has met; how many cases it has heard; what the breakdown is of its adjudications; and how many detainees have been released; [109040]
(4) what arrangements have been made at Camp One, Umm Qasr to allow each detainee to exercise their freedom of religious belief and practice; and how many civilian and military persons are engaged to minister to each faith represented among detainees; [109052]
(5) what statutory authority the tribunal system for detainees at Camp One, Umm Qasr has; by what means the panel adjudicators were appointed; what the rules and procedures of the tribunal are; and if he will place a copy in the Library; [109055]
(6) what facilities have been made available for the welfare of detainees at Camp One, Umm Qasr; [109039]
(7) how many UK legal experts and advisors are serving among coalition forces in Iraq; and how many are attached to Camp One, Umm Qasr; [109041]
(8) how many prisoners captured by Her Majesty's Armed Services in Iraq have been handed over to the custody of the United States or other military authorities; [109043]
(9) how many requests he has received from the United States for named persons in Iraq to be handed over or otherwise transferred to the custody of the United States in the event of their capture; [109044]
(10) what provision has been made at Camp One, Umm Qasr for the segregated accommodation of different political factions and religious groups; [109036]
(11) what measures are taken at Camp One, Umm Qasr to give effect to the right of detainees to family life; and what arrangements are in place for detainees to (a) be visited, (b) make telephone contact, (c) send and receive letters, (d) receive parcels and (e) receive Red Crescent packages; [109054]
(12) what written materials are made available for detainees upon reception at Camp One, Umm Qasr; and in what languages these are made available; [109038]
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(13) which belligerent states recognise and have agreed to hand over prisoners into the military jurisdiction of Her Majesty's Government at Camp One, Umm Qasr; [109050]
(14) how many civilian lawyers and human rights experts have been sent to Iraq with coalition forces; and how many are stationed at Camp One, Umm Qasr; [109042]
(15) how many meals are served each day at Camp One, Umm Qasr; what steps have been taken to ensure the religious and dietary requirements of detainees are met; and what the average daily calorific intake is of each prisoner; [109051]
(16) what steps he has taken to ensure that detainees at Camp One, Umm Qasr may exercise their right to select and be represented by legal counsel before the military tribunal; [109035]
(17) how many service personnel are engaged in functions related to security, administration and maintenance of Camp One, Umm Qasr; [109049]
(18) how many interrogation rooms are situated in the vicinity of Camp One, Umm Qasr; what the maximum number of hours each day a detainee may be interrogated is; what the guidelines and rules governing interrogation procedures are; and if he will place a copy in the Library; [109053]
(19) what steps he is taking to establish an independent tribunal under a recognised legal authority to determine the status of detainees in Iraq; [109058]
(20) what language groups are represented among detainees at Camp One, Umm Qasr; what proportion of detainees speaks each language; and how many translators are available for each language. [109037]
Mr. Ingram: I will write to my hon. Friend and a copy of my letter will be placed in the Library of the House.
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